Surveys have long been a staple method for business to gather information for strategic and tactical decisions. Surveys enable businesses to determine consumer preferences for products and services, as well as consumer's experience and satisfaction with a company's customer service. The evolution of telephone communications and the Internet have enabled businesses to define and conduct automated surveys quickly and efficiently via such mediums without the need for human intervention.
The effectiveness of surveys can be greatly diminished by what is referred to as “satisficing”. Satisficing refers to a phenomenon where survey participants answer questions in a half-hearted or arbitrary manner. When a user answers a question in an optimal way, they 1) interpret the question, 2) search memory for relevant information, 3) integrate information into summary judgment, and 4) report judgment. Anytime a person engages in steps two or three half heartedly, they are said to be weak satisficers and skipping any entirety is a feature of strong satisficing.